Now, I normally don't pay attention to the 'whitewashing' stuff in Hollywood as I'm usually not even interested in most of the stuff that they put out these days, and as I'm perfectly fine with Scarlett Johansson playing The Major in the upcoming Ghost in the Shell live action movie as I think that she can actually pull off playing her and at least looks like her in the publicity pictures that they have put out.
However, the article that I just read along with the trailer video that I saw for a new movie called The Great Wall starring Matt Damon has made me think that they've finally gone too far with it. In it Matt Damon is playing a European soldier who fights monsters on the Great Wall of China. In ancient China even. You're telling me that they couldn't get a popular Chinese actor, or even Asian actor to play the part? I mean, come on, there's quite a few of them out there that they could use that are well known. The worst part? The director of the film himself is Chinese! He doesn't need some European outsider to come head the defense of the greatest piece of architecture his country ever built.
And no, I am not Asian of any kind, nor am acting as a SJW here for this. I'm actually of European descent but have an appreciation of Asian culture, as I'm sure that most of you on this site do as well.

The film was produced and paid for by Chinese companies. This film is being produced for their audiences. I'm assuming that Matt Damon is popular there, or popular enough to get people in to see the film.

Take a look at who is funding blockbuster movies, such as Star Trek Beyond. The first two company names that flash on the screen are Alibaba and Huawei. Both are Chinese companies and as such, they dictate the terms of the movie. Chinese audiences tend to demand that movies have lots of explosions and special effects, hence why STB and even the latest James Bond franchise pictures are less actual plot and more action scenes.

I suspect more movies will be going this way because Chinese law makes it so that, unless there is significant Chinese investment in that film, it will have to vy for one of 10 spaces allowed yearly to foreign films. This is why the latest Star Wars film could not be shown until January in China; 10 foreign films had already been shown in the country in 2015. With Chinese actors and backers, US films can skirt upon the requirements and thus take advantage of one of the biggest audiences.

The film was produced and paid for by Chinese companies. This film is being produced for their audiences. I'm assuming that Matt Damon is popular there, or popular enough to get people in to see the film..

A movie about the Great Wall battles was paid for by Chinese companies and produced for their audiences.
The movie with Matt Damon in it that decided it needed monsters was made by American producers. China loves history, Americans changed the script in rewrites. The industry love affair is about to have its second marital spat after Ghostbusters.

(It's not the Damon thing--It's that, completely oblivious to why Keanu Reeves and "47 Ronin" became the biggest flop in Hollywood history, Hollywood producers are still disappointed when Asian history is just Asian history and doesn't have neato mythological creatures in it.
And if it doesn't, they could care less what battles funny little foreign people once had that Americans didn't fight in. And no, Japan's real 47 Ronin did not fight spider-demons, either.
If Hollywood ever did a movie version of India's Mahabarata, they'd be disappointed that Ganesha the elephant-god wasn't actually in the story, or a big giant CGI six-armed Kali in it like the one in "Golden Voyage of Sinbad.")

The film was produced and paid for by Chinese companies. This film is being produced for their audiences. I'm assuming that Matt Damon is popular there, or popular enough to get people in to see the film.

Take a look at who is funding blockbuster movies, such as Star Trek Beyond. The first two company names that flash on the screen are Alibaba and Huawei. Both are Chinese companies and as such, they dictate the terms of the movie. Chinese audiences tend to demand that movies have lots of explosions and special effects, hence why STB and even the latest James Bond franchise pictures are less actual plot and more action scenes.

I suspect more movies will be going this way because Chinese law makes it so that, unless there is significant Chinese investment in that film, it will have to vy for one of 10 spaces allowed yearly to foreign films. This is why the latest Star Wars film could not be shown until January in China; 10 foreign films had already been shown in the country in 2015. With Chinese actors and backers, US films can skirt upon the requirements and thus take advantage of one of the biggest audiences.

Matt Damon is not popular in China. They just care less about American Hollywood and American culture in general.

Albeit, this might change, considering how prideful the Chinese are and with the premise of the film, reminiscent of old imperialism.

The film was produced and paid for by Chinese companies. This film is being produced for their audiences. I'm assuming that Matt Damon is popular there, or popular enough to get people in to see the film.

Take a look at who is funding blockbuster movies, such as Star Trek Beyond. The first two company names that flash on the screen are Alibaba and Huawei. Both are Chinese companies and as such, they dictate the terms of the movie. Chinese audiences tend to demand that movies have lots of explosions and special effects, hence why STB and even the latest James Bond franchise pictures are less actual plot and more action scenes.

I suspect more movies will be going this way because Chinese law makes it so that, unless there is significant Chinese investment in that film, it will have to vy for one of 10 spaces allowed yearly to foreign films. This is why the latest Star Wars film could not be shown until January in China; 10 foreign films had already been shown in the country in 2015. With Chinese actors and backers, US films can skirt upon the requirements and thus take advantage of one of the biggest audiences.

Matt Damon is not popular in China. They just care less about American Hollywood and American culture in general.

^^^ This is wholly and entirely incorrect. The only part that may be accurate is Matt Damon's popularity but the Chinese are very welcoming of famous foreign actors and celebrities as a whole really.

People acting like "whitewashing" is some big conspiracy or even a problem for that matter. When the majority of the population is one race, expect the majority of entertainment in that country to be that race. It happens all over the world, the marketing teams are appealing to a demographic, if you feel like that takes away from the integrity of the story you're not alone but if you think it's some actual serious social problem you're wrong. Next time you go out to a cheap summer blockbuster just go to one that panders to your demographic or just get past the fact that you're watching: Tom Cruise as a samurai, an entirely female Ghostbusters cast, the same guy who played Snoop Dogg attempt to play 'L' in Deathnote. If the writers feel they can cast Matt Damon on the Great Wall and think anyone is going to take it seriously, their writing/opinions probably aren't something you should think to hard about.

The film was produced and paid for by Chinese companies. This film is being produced for their audiences. I'm assuming that Matt Damon is popular there, or popular enough to get people in to see the film.

Take a look at who is funding blockbuster movies, such as Star Trek Beyond. The first two company names that flash on the screen are Alibaba and Huawei. Both are Chinese companies and as such, they dictate the terms of the movie. Chinese audiences tend to demand that movies have lots of explosions and special effects, hence why STB and even the latest James Bond franchise pictures are less actual plot and more action scenes.

I suspect more movies will be going this way because Chinese law makes it so that, unless there is significant Chinese investment in that film, it will have to vy for one of 10 spaces allowed yearly to foreign films. This is why the latest Star Wars film could not be shown until January in China; 10 foreign films had already been shown in the country in 2015. With Chinese actors and backers, US films can skirt upon the requirements and thus take advantage of one of the biggest audiences.

Matt Damon is not popular in China. They just care less about American Hollywood and American culture in general.

^^^ This is wholly and entirely incorrect. The only part that may be accurate is Matt Damon's popularity but the Chinese are very welcoming of famous foreign actors and celebrities as a whole really.

People acting like "whitewashing" is some big conspiracy or even a problem for that matter. When the majority of the population is one race, expect the majority of entertainment in that country to be that race. It happens all over the world, the marketing teams are appealing to a demographic, if you feel like that takes away from the integrity of the story you're not alone but if you think it's some actual serious social problem you're wrong. Next time you go out to a cheap summer blockbuster just go to one that panders to your demographic or just get past the fact that you're watching: Tom Cruise as a samurai, an entirely female Ghostbusters cast, the same guy who played Snoop Dogg attempt to play 'L' in Deathnote. If the writers feel they can cast Matt Damon on the Great Wall and think anyone is going to take it seriously, their writing/opinions probably aren't something you should think to hard about.

That is pretty much tantamount to "not caring" as I see it. They don't care about race all that much as Americans, except perhaps for reasoning given behind Tilda Swinton in Doctor Strange, but that's more along the lines of ugly politics concerning Tibet. Unless they truly do obsess over American actors, which is somewhat rare as I see it. They can recognize a face, but a name is not recognizable to most of them.

I will also calmly and disagree with the outcome of your claim, although I believe you are correct, there is demographic appeal. The difference in America in that 5% of the population is Asian, and quite usually affluent Asians, and the fact that America is highly diverse, compared to.....Japan? The reason no one complains about Japan using Japanese actors is two pronged. There are vastly more Japanese, and there are few foreigners who speak Japanese. This is essentially what dubbing is going for.

Yet there are very few Asian actors. Well, maybe I'm incorrect. Maybe this is just how dice are played. I honestly never seen a lot of Asian actors in my theatre class, hmm.

Lol yeah it's pretty hard to take a movie about the great wall with a white main character seriously but its not white washing.
The Chinese often have white westerners in advertising. Are they white washing themselves?
Same with the Japanese. They use white people to market things. Yet they are very proud people/proud of their race. I dont think this is a big deal.

Lol yeah it's pretty hard to take a movie about the great wall with a white main character seriously

Don't forget about the monsters!

but its not white washing.

Yah it is. You don't know what you're talking about. Hollywood is racist!

The Chinese often have white westerners in advertising.

I am so offended upon learning this! Are they appropriating half of me?!?!?!

Are they white washing themselves?

No!! THIS IS BLATANT APPROPRIATION.

Same with the Japanese. They use white people to market things.

Not Nihon-sama too!!

Yet they are very proud people/proud of their race.

How can they be if they feel the need to appropriate me?!?

I dont think this is a big deal.

Make it one! It's our civic duty as priviledged first worlders to complain about things that don't really matter! Even if you don't think too much of it, just pretend you do! Then everyone can see how morally great a person you are!!

To me, it simply sounds like the Chinese businessmen behind the movie just wanted to score a big Western name in acting to promote their film, and Matt Damon bit. Hell, they're probably hoping to attract some non-Chinese viewers for extra cushion, as well. Even if it was an American movie with a US target audience, I'd still think it has more to do with star power than anything else. Matt Damon is among the most prestigious names in Hollywood right now, and it's an old trick for producers to try and reel in cash by baiting fanboys/fangirls of popular stars.

I love it when the critic is more racist than the people they're critiquing and even more so when they don't realize it.

Anyway, great actor. I might actually go see this.

How am I being racist? I'm of European descent and am upset that a European actor is playing a role that should have, in my opinion, gone to a Chinese actor because it is about their culture. Nothing more, nothing less. I am in fact probably one of the least racist people you could ever meet. I have nothing against the premise of the film, or of Matt Damon himself, just an issue of someone from their culture trying to impose a different race upon a part of their history. Your profile says that you're German American. Would you want someone who's Asian to play a role in German or American history who is supposed to be from that original culture, IE German or American?

Lol yeah it's pretty hard to take a movie about the great wall with a white main character seriously

Don't forget about the monsters!

but its not white washing.

Yah it is. You don't know what you're talking about. Hollywood is racist!

The Chinese often have white westerners in advertising.

I am so offended upon learning this! Are they appropriating half of me?!?!?!

Are they white washing themselves?

No!! THIS IS BLATANT APPROPRIATION.

Same with the Japanese. They use white people to market things.

Not Nihon-sama too!!

Yet they are very proud people/proud of their race.

How can they be if they feel the need to appropriate me?!?

I dont think this is a big deal.

Make it one! It's our civic duty as priviledged first worlders to complain about things that don't really matter! Even if you don't think too much of it, just pretend you do! Then everyone can see how morally great a person you are!!

I calmly disagree. I believe suspension of disbelief applies here. Oh, how convenient, another white character casted in a foreign setting, who can forget 47 Ronin, The Grudge, Avatar and perhaps Dragon Ball Z, etc....I think the trend is trite at this point. Whites only make 60% of the population.